Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Eytan Fox’s “Yossi,” which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April. The specialty distributor, which released Fox’s “Yossi & Jagger” and “The Bubble,” plans a fall festival run followed by a theatrical release early in 2013.

Written by Itay Segal, Fox’s follow-up to “Yossi & Jagger” picks up with Yossi as a workaholic Tel Aviv doctor who meets a soldier on the road after he’s forced to take a vacation. Lama Films’ Amir Harel produced along with United King Films’ Moshe Edry and Leon Edry, Fox and Ayelet Kait.

“There was big interest for ‘Yossi’ after its Tribeca film fest premiere from many U.S. distributors, and even new players came in to bid for the movie in Cannes,” said Films Distribution partner Nicolas Brigaud-Robert. “But in the end, you have to respect the movie you handle as a sales agent, and the best home for ‘Yossi’ was Strand Releasing, a long-standing partner for both Films Distribution and of the director Eytan Fox.”

Strand’s Jon Gerrans negotiated the deal with Brigaud-Robert.

“I am very happy to work with Strand again,” said Fox. “Marcus was ‘Yossi & Jagger’’s first fan. He bought it even before it was selected to Berlinale, and before it premiered in Israel. So I guess it’s the best closure. ‘Yossi’ is my most personal film to date and I am very proud of it. And I am sure Strand will know how to expose it the right way in North America.”

Strand has the films “Unforgivable,” “Bonsai” and “17 Girls” forthcoming.